What Is Lazy Eye?

Amblyopia, often known as lazy eye, is an early childhood condition in which a child’s vision in one eye does not develop as it should. When a patient develops amblyopia, the brain prioritizes one eye over the other, effectively ignoring the “lazy” eye. The nerve cells responsible for vision do not mature normally if that eye is not stimulated appropriately. Amblyopia is the most prevalent cause of visual loss in children, affecting 2% to 4% of children between the ages of 2 and 15. It can happen even if a child appears to be in good health. However, if not discovered and treated during childhood, it can result in long-term consequences. Regular eye exams, beginning at a young age, are critical. Your brain will learn to ignore the image from the weaker eye if you do not receive treatment. It’s possible that this will result in long-term visual issues.

What Causes Lazy Eye?

Lazy eye can be caused by anything that obstructs vision in either eye throughout a child’s growth. Although the causes for this are unknown, the brain suppresses images from the afflicted eye. Some possible causes are listed below.

Strabismus

The eyes cross or turn out as a result of an imbalance in the muscles that position the eyes. It’s tough for both eyes to track objects at the same time because of the muscular imbalance. Strabismus can be inherited, or it can be caused by near or farsightedness, a viral infection, or an accident.

Refractive Errors or Anisometropic Amblyopia

When light does not focus properly as it travels through the lens of the eye, it is called a refractive error. Nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism are conditions in which the surface of the cornea or lens is uneven, resulting in blurred vision. When a child has anisometropic amblyopia, one eye is more farsighted or nearsighted than the other, causing amblyopia to develop in the affected eye.

Stimulus Deprivation Amblyopia

This is the rarest type of amblyopia. One eye becomes weaker as it is unable to see. Both can be affected at times. This could be as a result of:

• ptosis (droopy eyelids)
• glaucoma
• harm to the eye
• ophthalmology surgery
• another eye illness, a corneal ulcer, a scar, or a corneal ulcer
• a congenital cataract occurs when a baby’s lens is clouded from birth.

Cataracts

Things can appear fuzzy due to a hazy lens inside your eye. It’s possible that the vision in that eye will not develop properly.

Eyelid Droops (Ptosis)

Your eyesight may be obstructed by a sagging eyelid.

Symptoms and Risk Factors of Lazy Eye

If a child has the following traits, he or she is more likely to have a lazy eye:

• Born prematurely
• Born smaller than average
• Have developmental issues
• Have a history of amblyopia or other eye disorders in your family

Amblyopia commonly begins in childhood, between the ages of 6 and 9. The best chance of totally rectifying the problem is to detect and treat it before the age of 7. A child with amblyopia will be unable to concentrate on one of their eyes properly. The other eye will have no option, other than to compensate for the impairment to the point that the affected eye will suffer. Clear images will not be received by the eye with impaired vision. When the brain does not receive clear input, it begins to dismiss it. In many situations, the brain and the stronger eye compensate so well for the deficiency that the youngster is unaware of the problem. As a result, it’s common for lazy eye to go undetected until a child has a normal eye exam. The following are some of the symptoms of a lazy eye:

• doubled vision
• blurred vision
• depth perception issues
• the eyes do not appear to cooperate
• upward, downward, outward, or inward eye movement

How to Treat Lazy Eye

The younger the child, the more beneficial the treatment. After the age of eight, the likelihood of eyesight improvement decreases significantly, yet it is still possible.
There are two techniques to treating sluggish eyes:

• addressing an underlying issue with the eyes
• rehabilitating the afflicted eye so that eyesight can improve

Treatment for Underlying Issues with the Eyes

So because the stronger eye and the brain adjust for the shortage, many children with uneven vision, or anisometropia, are unaware that they have an eye condition. Amblyopia occurs when the weaker eye becomes increasingly worse.

Glasses will be prescribed to a child who has near-sightedness, far-sightedness, or astigmatism. The child will be expected to wear them all of the time so that the specialist can measure their effectiveness in addressing the vision issues caused by the lazy eye. An eye turn can also be corrected with glasses. Amblyopia can sometimes be corrected with spectacles alone, requiring no further therapy.

Cataract surgery, also known as phacoemulsification, can be performed under local or general anesthesia if a cataract is the cause of amblyopia.

Surgery

Eye surgery is occasionally used to correct the look of an eye turn, resulting in better eye alignment. This could help or hinder your vision.

Occlusion

This occurs when a patch is worn over the “good” eye, forcing the lazy eye to work. Because that eye is the only source of information for the brain, it will not be ignored. Although a patch will not eliminate an eye turn, it will help to enhance vision in the lazy eye.

The length of treatment is determined by a variety of criteria, including the child’s age, the severity of their problem, and their willingness to follow the specialist’s directions. Each day, the patch is normally worn for a few hours. While wearing the patch, a child should be encouraged to engage in close-up activities like reading, coloring, or doing schoolwork.

Eye drops containing atropine can be used to blur vision in the unaffected eye. When taking atropine, the pupil dilates, causing blurring when looking at items up close. As a result, the lazy eye has to work harder. When opposed to a patch, atropine is usually less noticeable and difficult for the child, yet it can be just as effective. If a child is unable to tolerate wearing a patch, eye drops may be provided instead.

Vision Exercises

This entails a variety of exercises and games aimed at helping the child’s damaged eye acquire better vision. This, according to experts, is beneficial for older children. Other treatments may be used in conjunction with vision exercises.

Now that you Know…

You can’t avoid amblyopia or the other vision issues that can accompany it, however, you can prevent it from getting worse or causing long-term issues. Regular eye examinations are the best approach to avoid vision loss due to amblyopia. By the age of six months, your child should have had a comprehensive eye examination, and by three years, he or she should have had another.

Children with amblyopia can greatly improve their eyesight with early diagnosis and therapy. The goal of treatment is to enhance vision as much as possible, while it is probable that it will not result in perfect vision, particularly in severe cases. Amblyopia is a condition that does not resolve on its own. It can lead to irreversible vision loss and a “wonky eye” that always sees in the opposite direction if left untreated. In teenagers and adults, lazy eye is far more difficult to correct. Exams and treatment for vision problems should begin as soon as possible.